Innovation, research and development Given the historical ties between the two countries, India and Oman are forging ahead with this special relationship by investing in research and development. This ongoing dynamic is evidenced in the amount of research emerging on India-Oman relations. There are a number of research centres and study groups dedicated to Gulf Studies, with specific focus on Oman and India in the Indian Ocean. The Gulf Studies Centre of Jawaharlal Nehru University and the India Arab Cultural Centre of Jamia Millia Islamia, among others, facilitate research on diverse areas of interest and provide platforms for dissemination of such research. Sultan Qaboos University, the premier national university of Oman, as well other universities in Suhar, Nizwa and Salalah, also host research events which focus on bilateral relations of these two countries, covering all socio-cultural spheres. Indo-Oman maritime cultural heritage, migrant contribution to host and sending country, as well as opportunities for avenues of shared research are all emerging areas of research and development. Opportunities of collaboration between institutes in India and Oman also exist in experts’ visits via exchange, workshops/ seminars, research consultations and short term training programmes. Possbile cooperation between Sultan Qaboos University and institutions in India in Marine Biotechnology, ICT, and Renewable Energy, especially solar energy, post graduate and doctoral programmes and Environmental Studies are actively pursued. Short term courses are available for Omani public and private sector professionals as part of professional development. The wide and diverse spectrum of skills and disciplines offered ranges from IT to rural development, parliamentary practices to entrepreneurship, marine to aeronautical engineering, and others. c. Energy (Oil & Gas and Renewable Energy) Although India enjoys an abundance of traditional and non-traditional energy sources, they are insufficient to meet the country’s rapidly growing needs. It, therefore, resorts to importing crude oil and its associate products from abroad, especially from the Middle East28. As much as 53% of India’s oil imports and 41% of gas imports now come from the Arab region. Oman is one of the countries with whom India has developed long term energy partnership. According to Oman’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals, exports of Omani crude (Oman Export Blend) to India rose 8.9% (month on month) to reach 11.1% of the country’s total exports of 741,813 barrels per day in October 2020.
28 Sanjay Bhattacharyya, Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, MEA. 218
